One of the main reasons many gardeners produce their own fruits, vegetables and herbs is to become self-sufficient and depend exclusively on their growing skills and annual crop harvests. If you have ever wanted to increase the overall weight of your crops, then why not consider growing using hydroponic methods. Below, we have provided 8 tips to consider when using hydroponic systems for the first time, allowing you to have an advantage and produce the best results possible.
Top tip #1 - Research which system is best for you
There are many different hydroponic systems available on the market. With systems ranging from dripper, deep water culture, flood and drain, aeroponics and aquaponics, coming in different shapes and sizes and reservoir tank sizes, it can be difficult to know which hydroponic system is best for you personally.
Our tip here is taking the time to research online and through YouTube, in the ins and outs of hydroponics systems, which ones are best for home style projects, which are best for small or large spaces, what system is the easiest and most complex to use and of course which is the most affordable.
Don’t forget to look at our Wilma Grow Systems. They are drip irrigation growing systems, quite easy to use, light and stable. And you can choose the one that best suits your needs and space from our catalogue of sizes and pot number.
Top tip #2 - Work out a floor plan in advance
Plants grown in hydroponic systems can grow a lot in a heartbeat, so the last thing you want is an overcrowded garden or grow tent. The best way to prevent this is to design a floor plan that accommodates all your plants, including potential width and height restriction that may apply.
Our tip here is to use a pen and pad and sketch out the best floor and distribution plan. This is particularly useful for those who plan to make their own custom hydroponic system at home. Taking the time to work out your floor plan and growing space, will save you lots of stress later down the line.
Top tip #3 - Which growing medium should you use?
The beauty of hydroponics is that the growing medium contains no nutrients. This means that when it comes to choosing a soilless substrate for the roots to grow into, there is a wide range to choose from, such as rockwool, coco coir, coco and perlite or clay pebble mixes and clay pebbles alone.
Each hydroponic substrate has its own unique properties that make it a viable candidate for growing plants. Our tip here is to maybe start with coco coir and perlite and work your way up to rockwool or clay pebbles. Top dripper systems with coco coir and perlite are quite simple to use and produce incredible yields.
Top tip #4 - Monitoring your pH and EC levels
One of the best and most loved things about growing plants with soil is that you can water them with plain water, or a nutrient solution, and pretty much forget about them. As the old expression goes, “Do not panic… it’s organic!”, well that is not the case when growing plants with hydroponic methods.
You need to be very precise with your water temperature, nutrient strength, and pH and E.C levels. Our tip here is to buy digital pens that will allow you to take a reading every single time you water the temperature, pH level and E.C level. There is truly little room for error when using hydroponic systems and mineral nutrients.
Top tip #5 - Checking the nutrient run off strength
The strength of your nutrient solution can be judged using an E.C pen, however, checking the run-off solution at the base of the pots is also a good way to monitor the differences. Note that inactive substrates, such as rockwool or expanded clay, do not interact with nutrient minerals, so the measurement of drainage water can be a good indicator.
Ideally the value that the run-off produces should be as close as possible to the starting E.C. For example, if you use a nutrient solution that is 0.8 E.C and the run-off tests at 1.8., this is a sign there is too much salt inside the medium, and it needs to be balanced out.
Our tip is to make sure that you frequently check the E.C levels of the run-off solution, and to compare the value. If in the instance that the value of the run-off is significantly lower, then you may want to consider increasing the nutrient strength as the plants are using up lots of nutrients.
Top tip #6 - The quality of your water source
Keeping the reservoir full of water that is clean, the right pH level and oxygen rich will play a massive role in the outcome of your crops. Not everyone has access to soft tap water, so using a reverse osmosis filter will be required.
Our top tip when it comes to water quality is to make sure that your water is sterile and free from algae, bacteria and pathogens. Using an oxygen pump and airstone is the best way to ensure that the water remains rich in dissolved oxygen, keeping pathogens at bay.
Top tip #7 - Keep a sterile and clean system
It is particularly important to work with a clean and sterile hydroponic system, to avoid the water and growing medium becoming infected. There are certain protocols that should be followed when using a hydroponic system.
Our tip here is to use ATA Clean during the whole cycle. It prevents and cleans scaling of mineral origin, making it water-soluble again so it is easily discharged with the water feed.
To disinfect the system, you can use a 10% hydrogen peroxide solution in between reservoir changes, and to deep clean the system, drip lines and pump.
By doing these two simple things you will ensure that everything is as clean as possible: hoses and pipes will not become blocked, and any bacteria will be eliminated.
Top tip #8 - Emergency backup pump
Noticing that your hydroponic system is not working, and the air pump has totally stopped, can cause a mild heart attack and induce total panic. Without a pump working, deep water culture, aeroponics, flood and drain, dripper systems and cloning stations will all become useless. Plants will not be able to survive for long if they have been dependent on an electrical pump device.
Always cover yourself in the event of an emergency and buy a second air pump or water pump. Our top tip here is to have a brand-new pump on standby and to anticipate the worst case scenarios. At least this way, if something does happen, you are moments away from solving the issue!
Our conclusion
Growing with hydroponics means that you need to be much cleaner and more careful than working with other methods, as keeping a sterile bacterium rich environment is essential. Not only do hydroponic systems take the labor out of hand watering, but they also allow you to be away from the grow room if necessary, giving you more free time. There are many different systems available, each with their own unique way of growing. Don’t just pick any system and take the time and energy to research which system is the most practical for your skill level, grow space and gardening ambitions.